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Topic: More yogurt questions (Read 1309 times)

I'm using raw cows milk this time...I used 1/2 a gallonHeat to 180...( I didn't hold it for 30 minutes perhaps that is a cause? )Sat pot in an ice-bath in my kitchen sink to cool it down to around 115...( darn if I don't need to get a couple of nice long stemmed digital thermometers )added 1/8 tsp ABY-2C ...waited a moment for it to dissolve then stirred well to mix.Put in my electrical canner to culture....Starting Ph was 6.55....it took around 8 hours at 120 ish to get the Ph down to the 4.6 that I thought was my target.It spoons out very nicely and looks smooth when that is done but any amount of stirring after that results in very lumpy/grainy looking unappealing yogurt. The flavor is nice..it works beautifully for making smoothies but the husband wants to be able to eat an occasional bowl of yogurt that doesn't look ugly.Help??

Don't stir the yogurt! Stirring breaks it up and leaves it very unappealing. In my cheesemaking classes, I share a gallon jar of homemade yogurt and have to ask that the students not stir it. I'm not sure why people want to do that, but homemade doesn't have the stabilizers and thickeners that storebought yogurt has, so it can't stand up to that treatment.

If that isn't your problem, leave the milk sitting for 20 to 30 minutes before cooling it down, or simply allow it to cool at room temperature before inoculating it. It does take some time for the proteins to stabilize.

And suppose you want to strain it for a thicker (greek style) yogurt. I have tried to be careful not to stir but no matter, when I dump it into the cheesecloth or strainer, it breaks it up. I have been adding either tapioca starch or powdered milk which I think helps some. On the other hand, I have not been cooling before straining. I will try that next time. I also considered trying to line my pot with the cheesecloth so that when it was done I could simply lift the cheesecloth out, rather than 'dump' it. But any tips are welcome!Susan